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Fantasy Hockey Scoring Ideas

Aug. 13, 2014

Looking for an alternative fantasy hockey pool scoring system to traditional goal and assist pools, or Yahoo! and roto leagues? Here's a rundown of our bonus-scoring system that creates the right balance between performance and position.

It works like this:

1. Create a roster consisting of Forwards, Defensemen and Goalies. If the ratio of Forwards to Defensemen to Goalies on the ice is 3:2:1, then a fantasy roster should represent that ratio. Take the ratio a step further and include the bench. In total, 20 players dress for one team: most commonly it's 12 Forwards, 6 D-men, and 2 Goalies. In addition, 3 additional players take the pre-game skate, and upwards of 5 total reserves (or more once injuries are factored in) may be active with an NHL team at any given time.

If we apply these ratios to fantasy hockey, a balanced hockey pool roster might look like this:

Forwards

Defensemen

Goalies

Reserve

3

2

1

x

12

6

2

x

11

7

2

x

12

6

2

3

12

6

2

5

The number of forwards you can allow per roster is dependent on the number of teams in your league. Further ideas: specialized roster spots with their own unique scoring systems, and a reserve bench of players who do not collect points, but can be substituted into your active roster to compensate for hot/cold streaks and injuries:

Forwards

Defensemen

Goalies

Enforcer

Rookie

Reserve

8

4

1

1

1

5

Go one step further and break the forwards into positions: Centers, Left Wingers and Right Wingers. There are more scoring centers in the NHL than wingers, so note that in your break down.

2. Next, the actual scoring system should reflect the magnitude of various NHL scoring situations. In a bonus scoring pool, extra points are awarded.

Statistic

Fantasy Points

Goal

1

Assist

1

Power Play Goal

+1

Shorthanded Goal

+1

Game Winning Goal

+1

Overtime Goal

+1

Shootout Goal

+1 or +2

Hat Trick Bonus

+3

3. Goalies have a few statistics that are good representations of their play, while also being easy to track:

Statistic

Fantasy Points

Win

2

Shutout

+2 or +3

Overtime/Shootout Win

+1

Goal

5

Assist

2

4. The final element to a bonus scoring pool can be an Enforcer. This player's job is to be a physical presence on the ice. Enforcers collect a lot of penalty minutes via fights and misconducts, but usually do not score very many goals and assists. Score them like this:

Statistic

Fantasy Points

Penalties in Minutes

0.2 or 0.25

Major Penalties/Fights

+2

***

There you have a blueprint for a bonus-scoring fantasy league. It's fairly standard, yet it adds multiple elements of strategy beyond your basic goals and assists pool. If you're hesitant to change your existing scoring system, try adding one or two elements at a time. Good luck!